It was important for Naz Reid to see the ball go through the hoop. Long seen as one of the most productive bench players, Reid has gone through somewhat of a lengthy shooting slump. Naz has been dealing with a shoulder issue, but he has mostly remained in the lineup playing through it.
After a below-average February by his standards, Naz’s scoring efficiency completely fell off a cliff in March. Tuesday was just one game (against an inferior opponent), but the hope is that Reid can use it as a confidence-builder as we are rapidly approaching postseason basketball.
Reid looking to break prolonged slump right before the playoffs
Yes, the Minnesota Timberwolves faced the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, far from an elite opponent. Indiana has allowed the opposition to score at will since the All-Star break as they hope to keep their first-round pick (goes to the LA Clippers if between picks #5-9). Sometimes, a player can build off a strong performance after going through struggles, though, and that’s what the Wolves need from Reid.
In Tuesday’s victory, Naz shot 7-of-10 from the field, 3-of-5 from 3-point range, and 4-of-5 from the foul line. That gave him 17 points, which is the second-highest scoring total in his last 11 outings.
Boy, was that needed. Reid’s 70 percent field goal shooting on the night was his highest mark in a game since January 16. It’s just the second time over the past 19 games that Naz has connected on more than two 3-pointers.
In the 16 contests from March 1 until last night’s game, Reid had miserable shooting marks of 38 percent from the field and 23 percent from 3-point distance. That subpar stretch turned Reid from one of the favorites to win his second Sixth Man of the Year to mostly out of the award picture.
The Timberwolves now just have three regular season games remaining. The fans would love to see Naz use this game as a springboard for better efficiency entering the playoffs. In last year’s run to the conference finals, Reid shot 50.9 percent from the field and just shy of 40 percent from deep in the postseason.
Reid's overall impact is a must come playoff time. A first-round matchup against a familiar foe, the Denver Nuggets, is likely. The Nuggets are an offensive juggernaut led by three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, so all hands on deck will be needed for the Timberwolves to score enough to advance.
It would be great to see Naz shoot well again on Wednesday against the Orlando Magic, a clearly better defensive team than the Pacers.